Challenge reveal time again

Here we are again, the last Sunday of the month and time to reveal this months challenge design and what i did with it.

Love by the Stitcherhood was this months design. I decided to make mine into a gift tag that would go onto DH's little valentine gift.

I do like it when i can use the challenge design as a little gift, it makes stitching it even more lovely as you know someone will be receiving what you've made. DH loved it but wanted to know when i had been secret stitching as he hadn't seen me with needle and thread in hand with this one!!

The album this month has lots of lovely finishes in it, you can see what other inspirational ideas ladies had for this design.

Monthly ornament also completed for February too, what a good girl i am LOL

I'm sure you all recognise this one from the JCS 2010 Ornament mag, it's by Brittercup Designs called Consumed by Gifts. I've changed some of the colours as i didn't have the required threads.

I have a friend who has twin girl black cats and this is exactly what they were doing over Christmas rifling through the gifts and playing with each other trying to get into the ones belonging to them under the tree.

Shores has also had some attention again this week and we now have sunshine, shame the same can't be said for the weather here today. After a sunny start, we now have the torrential rain thats been around for the past few days.

Block 1 completed this month, target achieved, so now onto Block 2 next month.

Even more leaping about with excitment as i also completed the last 2 motifs on the yellow portion of Floral Fifteen by Just Nan this week. Just the five on the pale green to stitch now before the fiddly making up bit.

I seem to have got a lot of stitching done during the evenings this week even though i have spent an awful lot of time during the day with my head in the accounts getting organised for the dreaded accountants visit next week. I hope you've had a productive crafting week and enjoyed your relaxing hobby too.

Before i go, just time to tell you about a parcel that's arrived here from Barb. It's addressed to 'Julie, Amy & the pink' and DD (Amy) will be here later to open it with me. I'll reveal whats inside next time ... i do like to keep you all in suspense LOL

A gift, a RR and other stitching!

Clare's round robin arrived safely with me earlier this month, the post out date isn't till mid March and instead of posting this time we'll be exchanging at the next stitchers meet-up on March 19th.

Here's the square i finally chose to stitch, it was a hard decision to make as i liked all the Lizzie Kate designs Clare has plotted onto the graph for her cushion design.

The pink border is so lovely with the middle X's being a slightly different pink to the outer and it really is pretty and Clare also charted our names using the same font as the designs - so clever!

My RR is currently with Hazel, and she has completed her square, you can visit Hazel's blog to see which All Our Yesterday number she chose to add to mine. Thank you Hazel it looks fabulous xx

This one is a little gift for my friend Barb's birthday earlier this week.

She is a great fan of Shepards Bush designs so when i saw this little February one i knew it would make the perfect little bag for her February birthday. I added a couple of little chocolate lambs inside but i'm not sure she'll be able to bring herself to nibble those as she does have a fondness for the little fluffy animals. You can admire all the other lovely gifts that stitching friends made for Barb on her blog.

Just Nans Floral Fifteen has another 2 motifs added this week for UFO at Needlecraft Haven, Mr Stick will be pleased!

Shores has also had some attention and we can all now paddle in the sea, just the sunshine in the corner and a couple more seagulls to add so hopefully i'll be on target to get Block 1 completed by the end of the month.

DH and i celebrated our wedding annnivesary yesterday. We had planned to have a nice day out, but the weather had other ideas so we had a trip to a local shopping centre and will have a day out another time. The day was marred though as when we got home we noticed that some rotten ratbag had stolen both rear wheel trims off my new car. A bottle of wine, a box of chocs and a movie was how we spent the evening but it was very subdued.

I hope you have enjoyed a nice weekend with your loved ones

A wet Sunday!

Some days are just made for sitting with a hot drink and browsing through a magazine and this morning was one of them.

We woke to a very windy and wet day so after a late start i curled up in the conservatory to look at what dropped through the letterbox yesterday.

It's the Spring edition of Love Knitting for Baby and its packed with lovely things. I'll give it to DD for a look when i have finished reading it to see if there's anything she would like me to knit from it for her.

This little cardigan appeals to me, it looks an easy knit but is knitted sideways to add interest.

BUT ... just look at this super little crochet bunny, how could anyone resist this darling amigurumi ballerina bunny, i definately need to try and make one of these i think, you know my love of little wabbits! LOL

This nifty little thing is called a Knit Kit. Apparently it's the swiss army knife for knitters and is ideal for knitters on the move. It houses all of the following things - crochet hook, thread cutter, locking counter, collapsible scissors, tip protectors, stitch markers, darning needle and a 5ft tape measure. It retails at £14.99 here in the UK and can be found here. A great gift idea for an avid knitter and so useful, i wonder if it would be pass the regulations for plane journeys?

What have i been up to this week craftwise?

Another little handknitted cardigan for DD. A pretty lilac colour she chose this time. This one is just a basic first size but instead of the usual rib we decided to go with moss stitch to make it a little different. My neighbour called in on Friday telling me her DD is expecting in the Summer, she loved this little one and is hoping her DD will also want to have some hand knitted garments for their new addition. As she doesn't knit herself she smiled sweetly and asked if i would be willing to do them, of course i said yes.

Carriage House Samplings SAL - Shores of Hawk Run Hollow

The lighthouse now sits upon its rocks and a few seagulls are keeping it company.

DH really likes this one and is forever looking over my shoulder to see how its growing.

Do your family take as interest in certain projects you make more than others?

Mr Stick the resident UFO patroller at Needlecraft Haven will be pleased with me this week. Floral Fifteen was out again and 2 more flower motfis are completed.

I hope you are all fit and well and spending lots of time relaxing and enjoying your crafting hobby.

Tomorrow is St Valentines Day, i hope you have plenty of love in your life right now

The bunny has landed!

I can breathe a sigh of relief as my blogoversary parcel has arrived safely.

Time to introduce you to Pumpernickel..... thats the name Cathey over at Pumpkin Patch & Co has called the bunny i sent to her for my blogoversary win. I hope you and she have fun Cathey,

She just had to have an orange dress like a pumpkin didn't she, what other colour would have been more perfect!

Did anyone guess what she might look like?

Our local newspaper advertised a new shop that had opened not far from my home. With a name like Vintage Treasures who could resist a visit, so DH and i had a little trip out Saturday afternoon.

It's only a little wee shop, but full of lovely things. There were baskets of lace, ribbons and buttons to delve into and sort though. I could have spent heaps in there but DH treated me to some lovely glass buttons and these beautiful ribbons inside their own cardboard box, aren't they just wonderful, dare i use them LOL

There was one thing that i was surprised not to see on show in there though. There wasn't any crochet work but there were knitted and sewed items. The shop hasn't been open long so maybe it's something that will be there when i visit again. DH said we will definately be calling in again if when we are in the area. He better make sure he's got his pocket money with him though, i might not be able to resist some of the lovely items next time.

New Start

Feb 1st was the date to start the Carriage House Samplings SAL at Needlecraft Haven. There are lots of different designs the ladies have chosen to stitch but i went with Shores of Hawk Run Hollow for my biggie project for 2011.

I decided i wanted this to be a biggie too, so have used 32ct belfast linen in light sand which is the alternative suggested to the 40ct linen that the model is stitched on but to save on funds i have chosen to use DMC thread. This is how far i've got after 3 evenings stitching, it's lovely to work on, but hard to stuff all the excess fabric to the side. I've been using those sprung hair clips to keep it out of the way and clipped them onto the side of the snap frame to hold it - works a treat.

This one hasn't seen the light of day for a while, September last year in fact was the last time i put a stitch into it! Just in case anyone doesn't recognise it, it's Floral Fifteen by Just Nan, the 15 sided biscornu. I decided (or Mr Stick decided LOL) that it had spent way too long in the bottom of the workbox and definately needed to come out and play for a while before it really did become a UFO. I have to confess, i really did enjoy adding another little square to it, such pretty colours in it, why has it been neglected for so long? I think it might be finished sooner rather than later now its out again.

The monthly challenge has also been stitched and finished this week. The design this month is Love freebie from The Stitcherhood (available on the blog Jan 14th 2011 entry), a really nice design and perfect for upcoming Valentines day. No show though till the reveal as usual at the end of the month, i think there will be quite a few finishes again this month as the ladies all seem to be busy with this little design.

Last week saw the Chinese New Year begin, its the year of the rabbit. DH and i are both rabbits so hopefully a good year for us.

Talking of rabbits, i wonder how my little friend is progressing on the journey across the pond to Cathey from my blogoversary win? She must be rowing herself there as she seems to be taking ages to arrive.

Thanks for stopping by, see you soon